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Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
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“I saw old Autumn in the misty morn/ Stand shadowless like silence, listening/ To silence.” — Thomas Hood
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
VOL. 83 NO. 222
75 cents
Thousands gather for super day at autism walk By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Western New England Walk Now For Autism Speaks held its 12th annual event at Stanley Park Saturday and raised nearly $100,000, with more donations still coming in. More than 2,000 participants from over 100 teams joined the walk, which included a resource fair and children’s activities. The top two teams – Jessie James and the Outlaw Walkers and Ryan’s Rally for Autism, both of Westfield – raised $6,295 and $5,710, respectively. This year, for the first time, organizers said corporate sponsorships were received from Bapson Capital and Carando Ham. Home Depot also sponsored the event and brought its popular kids’ workshop to the park. The day took a super turn when superheroes showed up by the dozens. From Spiderman to Catwoman, Wolverine and even storm troopers and a princess or two, the day proved to be magical for many of the people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder who attended the fund and awareness-raising walk. See Autism Walk, Page 3
Team One Big Family continued its tradition of participating in the Western New England Walk Now For Autism Speaks at Stanley Park. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
Superheroes encourage walkers as they pass through the starting line. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay)
Westfield firefighter Joseph Coach is surrounded by some young friends Saturday at the Autism Speaks walk. Sitting with Coach are Shayne Tremblay, Owen McIsaac, Jake McIsaac, Sagean Peterson, Ryan Tremblay and Seneca Peterson. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay) Team Colby’s Crusaders shows their spirit. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
Practice lights meeting to be held tomorrow
City Council mulls aquifer zoning change
By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The public is invited to attend an informational meeting on the new practice lights being installed at the Westfield High School practice football field. The meeting will be held at 6:30 under the south goal post on the high school’s practice football field, located at the end of Powder Mill Road. If you are traveling by car, please park in the high School parking lot and walk to the field, as there is no parking on Powder Mill RON RIX Road. In case of rain, the meeting will be held in the Main Office at Westfield High School. The Westfield Public Schools is installing low level lights on the practice football field at Westfield High School. This lighting system consists of five 35-foot poles each containing two 250-watt floodlights. These lights are intended for practice only and are not suitable for games. Westfield High School, in conjunction with Westfield Youth Football and the Westfield Gas & Electric Company, have worked to design and install the lighting system for afternoon and early evening practices for the high school and youth football teams. With the fall days getting shorter, these lights will be turned on at sunset and then turned off when football practice ends at 8 p.m. “This is basically a courtesy we’re doing for the neighbors,” said Ronald Rix, director of technology and business services for Westfield Public Schools. “When I looked into what we had to do as far as public hearings or the like, the city’s law office advised holding an informational meeting.” “I know at Bullens Field we have all kinds of regulations about when games can start and all that, but this is designed to go off when youth football is done practicing in early November,” he said. Rix said that he has spoken with several residents who live near the school and put them at
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council is considering a zone change that would allow commercial development on commercial property of less than two acres within the aquifer protection district. The Council’s Natural Resource Committee initiated that review last week prior to the regular council session, but decided to seek additional information before presenting a course of action. That action could be a recommendation to approve, deny or change the ordinance amendment. Consideration of the Rob ordinance change was ini- Levesque tiated, in part, by a business owner who is seeking to develop a Dunkin Donut store on North Road. The business owner, represented by Rob Levesque of R. Levesque Associated, petition the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals last July to issue a variance to allow the commercial development. The lot, located at the intersection of North and Old County roads (directly across from East Mountain Road), was the location of the former 49er Lounge which burnt down decades ago. The 1.6 acre parcel, which is zoned for Business A (BA) uses, was never redeveloped. Levesque, speaking at the Natural Resource Committee meeting Thursday, said the current zoning requires lot of at least two acres. Levesque said that only five parcels of BA property throughout the city which could be developed if the zoning amendment is approved. “The soil conditions are suitable for septic disposal,” Levesque said. “It meets all the requirements to Title 5, stormwater and nitrogen loading.” “This (zoning) amendment allows an avenue for this property and a few others to be developed,” Levesque said. Ward 6 Councilor Christopher Crean said the zoning amendment will allow development “of blighted property in my ward. It would be
See Lights, Page 3
Pictured left to right are Westfield State Exec. Director of University Advancement Michael Knapik; Cynthia Neary, Citizen’s Scholarship Fund; Kathy Kareta, Fred Kareta, Kerry Kareta, and aunt Marilyn Sicotte members. (Photo provided by WSU)
WSU Foundation pays honor through scholarships By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Westfield State University’s Horace Mann Center played host to the WSU Foundation’s annual Meeting of the Corporation Thursday evening. At the meeting, the foundation honored two associates of the university who recently passed away. The families of Joseph Kareta, an alumnus from the Class of 2010 who was killed by a drunk driver in the summer of 2010 and former University Trustee Deanna L. Clark, who passed away earlier this year, spoke to a packed garden level of the Horace Mann Center, the home of the criminal justice department where Kareta earned his bachelor’s degree and the board room where Clark attended trustee meetings. Michael R. Knapik, executive director of university advancement at Westfield State, spoke to Joe’s parents, Frederick and Kathryn, after their son’s passing. “They came to the foundation and asked ‘can we do something in Joe’s memory?’” said Knapik. “Is there something we can do out of love, remembering what kind of student he was and what a special son he was and how much he touched others?” Knapik said that the Kareta family began raising funds in the summer of 2011 and, in partnership with the Citizen Scholarship Foundation and the Westfield State University Foundation, the Joe Kareta Memorial Scholarship passed the $100,000 mark.
Originally intended to serve as a scholarship for criminal justice students, the scholarship has now helped 17 students with their education at Westfield State. “We’re here to thank you for all you’ve done to honor your son and all that we can do to help you honor your son,” Knapik said. “You’ll touch the lives of future students at this university for generations to come.” Fred and Kathryn Kareta were awarded the 2014 Stewardship Award from the foundation and spoke of their son. “Joe was my son and a good son he was,” said Fred Kareta. “The tragic results of drunk driving can never be felt by anyone until it happens to them. We started this scholarship and with the help of Mike (Knapik), Lisa (McMahon, assistant director of development) and Westfield State, we’re going to carry on.” “We had a goal of $100,000 but now, there is no goal – the sky is the limit,” he said. “And as long as we can partner with Westfield State, we’re going to on.” New Foundation Chair Robin Jensen took the microphone next to introduce the family of Deanna Clark, the longtime Westfield State Trustee who touched the lives of so many and who Jensen credits with introducing her to Westfield State after they’d served together on the board of the Amelia Park Children’s Museum. “My Christmas gift from Dee that year was becoming a member of this board – my first See Scholarships, Page 3
See Zoning, Page 3
City building and health inspectors find faults with property By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A Montgomery Road family has been ordered to clean up their property after a visit by city inspectors Friday. Police Officer Harry Sienkiewicz, the department’s code enforcement officer, reported late Friday morning that city building and health inspectors, Anthony Paroline and Stephen Cipriani, requested his assistance at 756 Montgomery Road. Sienkiewicz said that the inspection had begun previously when the health department was advised of a dog complaint on the property but inspectors had been loath to enter the property
alone. He said that the inspectors found that significant renovations to the residence on the property were underway although no building permit had been issued, as required. Siekniewicz said that he does not know what action the building inspector may have taken but he found three unregistered cars “more like pickup trucks, really” and the owners were put on noticed that they had 30 days to register or remove the vehicles. He said that the property is on the outskirts of the city “almost near the Montgomery line” in a farming area. He said that farm vehicles were also present “but they’re exempt” from
motor vehicle registration requirements. He said that failure to comply would result in a $100 per day fine, per vehicle. Kerri Francis, the city’s animal control officer also responded and she reports that she found two chickens running loose on the property, as well as an unlicensed and unvaccinated dog. She also found that two horses were housed in a shed on the property which was filled with items which made it unsafe for equine habitation, although she stated that they appeared to be healthy. Francis advised the landowners that the various deficiencies must be resolved within a month.